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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 19/00340/B Applicant : Dot Handley Proposal : Installation of wall with window to replace existing garage doors Site Address : Troutbeck Strang Road Union Mills Isle of Man IM4 4NP

Planning Officer: Mr Paul Visigah Photo Taken : 25.04.2019 Site Visit : 25.04.2019 Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 07.05.2019 __

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions

C 1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice.

Reason: To comply with article 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

Plans/Drawings/Information:

This approval relates to the following plans and drawings, date stamped as received on the 25th January 2019: o Boundary Map o Proposed elevations, existing elevations. o Building Plan (Existing and Proposed) o Existing Photographs __

Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

None __

Officer’s Report

THE SITE

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1.1 The application site represents the curtilage of an existing dwelling situated at Troutbeck Strang Road, Union Mills in Braddan. The property is a two storey detached dwelling located in a residential area.

1.2 The dwelling has a drive which is about 4.5 meters wide and stretches into the parking area which is about 7m long.

1.3 The elevation of the site frontage is steep constraining access from the driveway to the front garden.

THE PROPOSAL 2.1 This application seeks approval for the installation of a wall with window to replace the existing garage doors.

2.2 The proposed works would create a utility room for the dwelling.

2.3 The window would have a width of 1.54 metres, and height of 0.97 metres, serving to replace the garage door that was 2.7 metres wide and 2.35 meters high.

PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The site is zoned as "Predominantly Residential" in the Braddan Local Plan (1991). Therefore, the relevant policy in assessing this application is the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016. Within the adopted Isle of Man Strategic Plan, the following policy is considered relevant - General Policy 2, which states: "Development which is in accordance with the land-use zoning and proposals in the appropriate Area Plan and with other policies of this Strategic Plan will normally be permitted, provided that the development: (b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them; (c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape;

3.2 Also, Appendix 7.6 of the Isle of Man Strategic plan 2016 stipulates that, for a typical residential development, two (2) spaces should be provided per unit, at least one of which is retained within the curtilage and behind the front of the dwelling. This policy will be relevant to this application due to the fact that the existing garage will be converted to a utility room which might result in the loss of parking spaces.

3.3 It is also relevant that the Town and Country Planning (Permitted Development) Order 2012 makes provision for the following: "Class 26 Garage doors The replacement of a garage door and frame with another garage door or a window. The internal garage space may then be used as part of the main dwelling to which the garage is attached. Conditions: (a) the works are allowed only where the garage is either an integral or attached garage (i.e. not detached from the dwelling house); (b) where a garage door is replaced with a window, the proportions of the window must replicate the proportions of the windows on the ground floor of the same elevation of the door to be replaced; and (c) operations within this class are allowed only if, on completion of the operations, at least 2 car parking spaces remain within the curtilage of the dwelling house. For the purpose of paragraph (c) the minimum size permitted for a car parking space is 6 metres by 3.25 metres.

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For the purpose of this Class, the internal space of an integral or attached garage may be used as part of the main dwelling to which the garage is attached. This does not constitute development."

3.4 The Residential Design Guide is also vital to this application. Section 1.2.1 stipulates issues that are relevant in the consideration of planning applications for residential development. The following issues are considered relevant to this application: i. Potential visual impact upon the street scene; iv. Potential impacts upon highway safety i.e. loss of off-street parking due to proposed works / visibility splays and adequate parking provision; and

3.5 Section 2.4.2 of the Design Guide also stipulates that "consideration should be given to imaginative ways to provide adequate levels of car parking without it dominating the streetscape. The use of the most appropriate type of parking (within the curtilage, shared parking areas and/or on-street) and both hard and soft landscaping can help to ensure that the visual impact of car parking is minimised. Traffic management and subtle changes in street materials can also be used to complement the use of layout and buildings to reduce vehicle speeds without the need for traffic-calming devices such as speed humps and chicanes".

PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 The application site has been the subject of two previous planning applications, none of which is considered materially relevant to the assessment of this current planning application. There have been other applications in the vicinity. However, they bear no material effect on the proposed development.

REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the government's website. This report contains summaries only.

5.1 Braddan Parish Commissioners have no objection to the planning application in a letter dated 11 April 2019.

5.2 Representation from the Department of Infrastructure (DOI) Highways Division opposes the application in letter dated 25 April 2019 stating the following reasons:

The proposed garage conversion would result in the loss of a site car parking that would not be replaced. Although the existing garage is below the current minimum standard in the 'Manual for Manx Roads' design guide, it is till of a sufficient size to accommodate a small car at 2.6m x 4.2m wide door.

The proposed would reduce the site parking provision from 2 to 1 space, as there is already a driveway space, which is contrary to the parking standards in the 'Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016' which require 2 spaces for a dwelling.

The DOI, however, suggested that it would remove the highway objection if the applicant provides a revised suitably scaled site plan to show a second driveway space of at least 2.5m x 5.5m to offset the proposed loss of garage space.

ASSESSMENT 6.1 There are a number of issues to consider, the first relates to whether the proposed nature and use of the converted garage would be appropriate in this location. Second, whether the proposed utility room would result in an adverse impact upon neighbouring amenities. Third, the potential parking implications of the development.

6.2 It is, however, worth noting that the proposed development would be to convert an existing attached garage which is within an existing residential curtilage. Therefore, it does not

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require the provision of additional amenity since the utility room will utilize the already provided amenity for its operation within the said property.

6.3 Regarding the potential impacts upon neighbouring properties; due to the substantial tree cover buffering the dwelling, there would be no adverse impacts to residential amenities to warrant a refusal.

6.4 Moreover, the conversion of the existing garage will arguably not result in the loss of parking space since the existing garage measures 2.7 meters by 4.25 which make it unsuitable for use as a parking space for a car. The minimum requirement for single garage spaces stipulated in the Manual for Manx Roads' design guide requires garages to be 6.0 m x 3.0 m, with minimum door width of 2.4m. Whilst the comments from DOI are pertinent, it is considered that section 6.3.4 on the Residential Design Guide will prevent the creation of further parking spaces on the front garden seeing that developments have already used up about 50% of the front lawn.

RECOMMENDATION The proposal will not be readily visible and will not adversely affect the visual amenities of the locality. There is also sufficient on-street parking outside the curtilage of the property for parking, since on-street parking is common on the street. Accordingly, it is recommended that the planning application be approved.

INTERESTED PERSON STATUS 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 Article 6(4), the following persons are automatically interested persons: (a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent; (b) The owner and the occupier of any land that is the subject of the application or any other person in whose interest the land becomes vested; (c) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material (d) Highway Services Division of Department of Infrastructure and (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.

8.2 The decision maker must determine: o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and o whether there are other persons to those listed in Article 6(4) who should be given Interested Person Status. __

I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted

Date : 10.05.2019

Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER

Stephen Butler

Head of Development Management

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